Finding strengths and being a SAHM

So I read this book entitled, Now, Discover Your Strengths, which comes with an online test one can take to determine one's strengths.

Not surprisingly, my 5 strength themes are:

• Communication (like to write, talk, elaborate, etc)
• Achiever (inner drive to act, stamina to keep going, must accomplish something everyday)
• Strategic (think through clutter, asking what if questions)
• Discipline (routine-oriented, create structure, like precision)
• Woo (meet others easily, put people at ease)

I think it hit the nail pretty well on the head.

So the question I've been wondering is do my strengths mesh with being stay-at-home mom? The book is written for companies to ensure their employees are being as productive and happy as possible so it is a little challenging to apply this to my life in an altogether different organization.

I've also had to wonder whether these strengths applied to my role as a teacher.

Since the test didn't tell me how I ranked in my strengths #6-10 or #11-15, I don't know whether I had any strengths as a Developer (see the potential in others) or in terms of Empathy (sense others' emotions), which seem to me to be things you need in order to be a good SAHM or teacher.

But I think I was a good teacher and am a good mom, so rather than worrying about what I'm not, I'm gonna parse out how I use the 5 strengths listed above to be the good mom I think I am (and, believe me, this ain't a braggin' thing...simply an exercise so I don't stew forever that I picked the wrong "career").

Achiever -- I do like to get things done and accomplish certain things. I don't write down what I intend to accomplish because as soon as I write it down, it doesn't get done and then I feel like crap. So I just mentally note what I accomplish, and there are always certain things I want to accomplish every single day, like play with N for at least 20+ minutes while G is napping or get 1 type of housework chore done. And I do tend to have a high stamina, which is necessary, I think, for being a SAHM.

Communication -- I like to express myself and share and draw pictures with words, which hopefully makes it so N and G like to listen to what I have to say. I guess better this than being difficult to talk with.

Strategic -- I guess maybe this works best in terms of how I discipline...finding the best route (most of the time) for dealing with my children based on their personalities. I discard the paths that lead straight into resistance? And I guess it can apply to doing activities with the kids--knowing how to break things down in a way that is easy and enjoyable for a small child--when I do a project with N, I can break it down into small parts applicable to her development stage.
(As a teacher, I always thought one of my strengths was being able to take a lesson plan idea and develop activities that I could use with both my AP students and my special needs students-----activities that were smart and challenging but geared for their particular skills and needs)

Discipline -- I have routines and order in the house. Toys have a certain place in our home. The day has a certain routine. I am consistent. Kids need routines and consistency.

Woo -- I am approachable and funny, which makes me fun for the kids to be around.

There needs to be a category for "Entirely Too Much Inside One's Own Head" because I know I shouldn't be spending as much time as I am wondering whether I have the strengths to be a good SAHM.

I should probably look only at the statement I made to D today. When we got home from my MIL's house, I went to run some errands and was gone about 2 hours. Once I returned home, I took N sledding and then we built a snowpeople family (pictures to come in a couple days). When that was finished, I came in and cooked supper. D was in the dining room with G. I told D that I felt like I hadn't seen G all day and I felt guilty about it.

Guilt! About not spending 4 hours with my son when I see him every single day. And some of that 4 hours he was asleep. And, really, it wasn't even a full 4 hours because I did nurse him and get him down for a nap during that timeframe. But I felt a little sad that I hadn't spent more time with him.

That right there is enough to tell me I couldn't HANDLE being a working momma. The guilt would eat me alive. Damn, I'm such a softie.